How did Columbus discover the New World?

Between 1492 and 1502, with the funding of the King of Spain, Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean four times and reached the American continent, and he became a famous navigator in history. But there is evidence that the Viking Leif Ericson discovered the American continent earlier.

Columbus loved sailing since he was a child. At that time, European countries were in great need of spices and gold from Southeast Asia. However, the land route to Asia was blocked by the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and the sea route had to pass through the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of South Africa.

Columbus was convinced that he could find another route to Southeast Asia by sailing westward. He successively sought help from the kings of Spain, Portugal, England, France and other countries to realize his westward voyage to China and India. plans, but no help. After lobbying for more than ten years, Columbus finally received funding from Queen Isabella I of Spain in 1492.

Between 1492 and 1503, Columbus completed four round-trip voyages from Spain to America. So these voyages were financed by the Kingdom of Castile. These voyages marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization of the American continent and are therefore of immeasurable importance to Western history.

Although Columbus faced mounting evidence against his view, he still insisted that the places he visited during his voyages were the Asian continent described by Marco Polo and other European travelers. part of.

Extended information:

Columbus (1451-1506) was born in Genoa City, Italy, where the navigation industry was developed. The young Columbus was keen on sailing and adventure. These conditions set him up for the future. laid the foundation for the voyage.

In Europe from the 15th to the 16th century, the theory of the round earth was widely spread. It was believed that one could reach the East by going west from the coast of Europe. "The Travels of Marco Polo" describes the East as a paradise filled with gold and spices.

In Europe at that time, with the development of the commodity economy and the emergence of capitalism, the so-called "currency crisis" occurred, that is, a serious shortage of gold and silver as currency materials. Many Europeans fanatically wanted to go east to seize gold to fulfill their dreams of getting rich, and Columbus was one of the representative figures.

Dreams are dreams, and going to the East was not an easy task at that time. The traditional overland trade routes between the East and the West have been cut off by the rise of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and the routes on the Mediterranean are controlled by the Arabs.

To realize their dreams, Europeans must open up new routes. The good news is that at this time, the Chinese compass had been introduced to Europe, and the European shipbuilding industry had also reached a considerable level. At this time, Columbus, who was in the prime of life, believed that the conditions were ripe and decided to make a voyage. The first voyage was not smooth sailing. The first problem was finding sponsors.

In 1486, Columbus proposed his idea to the Spanish royal family, and it was not approved until 1492. With the support of the Spanish royal family, Columbus led 3 sailing ships and 87 sailors from Port Barros on August 3 of that year, sailing due west. After more than two months of turbulence, Columbus and his party finally discovered a piece of land with lush vegetation.

They came ashore with joy and named it San Salvador, meaning Savior. This island is one of the Bahamas Islands and is now known as Waltham Island.

At this time, Columbus made a mistake. He thought he had reached India, so he never went west again. Instead, he turned south, along the coastline, and successively reached today's Cuba and the sea border. . He called the indigenous peoples in this area Indians (that is, Indians) and learned about their customs, but he did not find a large amount of gold

Although he did not directly obtain gold, Columbus's trip was not in vain. As soon as he landed, he conducted fraudulent trade with the local indigenous people, exchanging various waste items for their rare and valuable belongings. The kind-hearted indigenous people treat them like guests and actively help them adapt to local life, such as building houses, gathering and hunting.

After establishing a foothold, these ambitious colonists carried out crazy plunder and cruel oppression of the local people.

Before leaving, they also captured 10 Indians. In this way, Columbus and his fleet returned to Port Barros, their starting point, on March 15, 1493, announcing to people that he had found a new route to the East. Columbus was rewarded by the king and quickly rose into the ranks of the nobility.

Soon, the Spanish royal family, having tasted the sweetness, intended to allow Columbus to sail again. On his second voyage, Columbus reached areas such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Afterwards, Columbus sailed to the Americas twice, but in the end he failed to bring back considerable gold to the Spanish royal family, and was finally left out in the cold. On May 20, 1506, Columbus died in Valriadori, Spain.

Columbus discovered the New World of America, but he thought he had arrived in India until his death. The name of today's East Indies comes from this.

The discovery of the Americas broadened people's horizons and gradually connected the world. It has certain positive significance for expanding world-wide exchanges and promoting the progress of human civilization. At the same time, it also triggered large-scale colonial expansion in Europe, bringing unprecedented disasters to the local people.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Columbus discovered the New World